1  The historic former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station (TPRS), a beloved National Monument, could soon become a vibrant community hub with pop-up retail, art galleries, cafés, co-working spaces and a beautifully landscaped forecourt. These ideas were among the winning proposals from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)’s ‘From Dreams to Rail-ity’ ideas competition for the former TPRS. Today, URA has also launched a design competition, in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), for a new community node under the Queensway viaduct.

2  The proposals from both initiatives will help shape the detailed plans and design for TPRS and the new Queensway node, creating inclusive community nodes for social bonding with adaptable spaces for recreational activities and respite. This is part of the Draft Master Plan 2025’s (DMP2025) focus to Steward our Nature and Heritage. See Annex A [PDF, 55kb] for details of the DMP 2025. When completed, TPRS and the Queensway community node will add two new community nodes along the Rail Corridor, and follows the completion of those at Kranji, the PIE viaduct, the conserved Bukit Timah Railway Station, and Buona Vista.

Bringing together heritage, nature and communities at TPRS

3  Launched in April 2024, the ‘From Dreams to Rail-ity’ ideas competition invited the public to submit proposals that would reimagine TPRS as a vibrant, inclusive, multi-functional heritage building that connects the community to the Rail Corridor. TPRS will serve as a key community node and southern gateway into the Rail Corridor, which is being transformed into an extraordinary green cross-island connector and community space.

4  The competition attracted 93 submissions from individuals and teams, based in both Singapore and overseas. The submissions were evaluated by a jury panel comprising representatives from URA and the private sector. The proposals were assessed based on the overall design concept, including their sensitivity to heritage and relationship with surrounding developments.

5  The top three submissions stood out for their strong and coherent visions for TPRS, supported by innovative concepts to adaptively reuse the railway station as a vibrant and inclusive multi-functional community building. Each of them proposed distinctive approaches to re-purpose the former railway station building and train platforms while sensitively introducing new features to the rest of the site. They also suggested ways to allow the public to better appreciate the architectural and historical features of the monument building while opening it up for inclusive community uses. Another three submissions were awarded special mentions for commendable ideas and concepts.
  
6  Below is an overview of the winning submissions and special mentions, with more details available in Annex B [PDF, 389kb]. The winning submissions can also be viewed on URA’s website, at go.gov.sg/TPRSIdeasCompetition.

1. First place – ‘Rail Life’ by Kenneth Chiang (Singapore)
Rail Life breathes new life into the site by innovatively integrating heritage and modern architectural elements to introduce a variety of gathering spaces for the community. The front forecourt is transformed into a landscaped lawn that can hold a wide range of community events and programmes, while cleverly concealing utilities below. The Rail Corridor trail also weaves through mini plazas for sports and recreational activities, curating a differentiated experience for users as they approach TPRS.

2. Second place – ‘0KM Hub’ by PTW Architects (United States of America)
With a name referencing the start of the railway line, 0KM Hub also represents the confluence of the urban and natural environments. A green sunken forecourt that doubles up as a stage sets up a dramatic entrance into the railway station, which would be home to various community spaces. Transparent walkways laid on top of the railway track create a more walkable area for visitors, who can also view the historical elements below.

3. Third place – ‘Tapestry of Reawakened Spaces’ by ACME Space Ltd (United Kingdom)
Spaces blending both heritage and modernity are incorporated at Tapestry of Reawakened Spaces via creative alterations of the building. The creation of a double-height gallery space and an outdoor terrace provides new spaces for the community to enjoy. The compound’s railway heritage is reflected in the repurposing of railway artefacts, like using former timber sleepers as stepped seating.

4. Special mentions
a. ‘Experiencing TPRS through a New Lens’ by a team of two (Hong Kong)
By introducing new vantage points and play experiences, Experiencing TPRS through a New Lens transforms the site into a community hub that facilitates interaction, innovation and recreational pursuits.

b. ‘Tanjong Pagar Ever After’ by a team of five (Indonesia)
Tanjong Pagar Ever After aims to celebrate the railway station’s past, present and future via designing flexible-use spaces of varying scales, which can accommodate community uses such as urban farming and nurture human-nature interactions along the Rail Corridor.

c. ‘Loco-Motion: Community Generator’ by Kay Ngee Tan Architects (Singapore)
New, vibrant and inclusive playscapes along the railway line in Loco-Motion bring diverse communities together, reinforcing Singapore’s multicultural fabric. A library is also proposed in the central hall of the historic railway station building, turning it into a peaceful sanctuary that celebrates the grandeur of the original elements of the hall.

7  The submissions from this competition will contribute to the rich ideas and concepts that have been proposed for TPRS to achieve its vision. URA will embark on the next stage of the journey – to assess the ideas from the competition and distil key concepts from the feedback, ideas and proposals gathered for TPRS over the years, and study their feasibility for implementation. The repurposing of TPRS will start post-2028, after the opening of Cantonment Station and completion of SLA's restoration works.

8  Chair of the jury panel, Ms Adele Tan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Planner of URA, said, “We are pleased to have received enthusiastic responses from members of the public, professionals and students for the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station ideas competition, and are impressed by the creativity and innovation shown in the proposals. Many Singaporeans have fond memories of the historic building and its surroundings. The aspirations reflected in the proposals will help us to develop a strong and compelling shared vision for the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, to support its role as the key southern gateway to the 24km-long Rail Corridor.”

9  Ar. Khoo Peng Beng, member of the jury panel and a practising architect, added, “The winning entries showcased high-quality and even some unconventional and thought-provoking ideas which suggested how the historic building can be adaptively reused through various design interventions to appeal to a wide segment of Singaporeans. As we look towards the future of the site, these ideas will inspire further discussion on how development at the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station can creatively repurpose spaces for the community while remaining sensitive to the heritage and context of the station as a National Monument.”

Translating the community’s aspirations into plans for a new community node under the Queensway viaduct

10  As part of the ongoing DMP2025 public engagement efforts, URA has engaged residents and stakeholders on ideas for a new community node at the sheltered space below the Queensway viaduct, in line with the objectives under URA’s Recreation Master Plan to optimise and transform underutilised spaces into recreational spaces for all.

11  URA has launched a single-stage design competition today to seek innovative proposals from industry professionals to transform the viaduct space into an inviting multi-functional space that the public will be able to use for recreational and community activities. The proposals are to consider the feedback and ideas collected from the community, and should be designed to be well-integrated with the Rail Corridor. Sensitive enhancements should be introduced to improve visitor accessibility and comfort; and flexible spaces should be provided for programmes to promote shared experiences and community participation. The space should also encourage energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly practices.

12  The competition is open from today until 7 November 2024. The winning team will be commissioned to develop the detailed design for construction and implementation of the Queensway node. Interested applicants may register at https://sia.org.sg/queensway-node/ for details on how to participate.

Upcoming exhibition on the Rail Corridor developments and plans

13  The winners of the Queensway node design competition will be announced at an upcoming exhibition in early-2025. The exhibition, which will also showcase submissions from the ‘From Dreams to Rail-ity’ ideas competition, will present the journey of shaping the Rail Corridor with Singaporeans over the last decade, and invite the public to continue contributing ideas for the Rail Corridor. More details will be shared when ready.